Aspirating hypodermic syringe and blood sampling devices



Dec. 20, 1955 LOCKHART 2,727,514

ASPIRATING HYPODEZRMIC SYRINGE AND BLOOD SAMPLING DEVICES Filed Sept. 13, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l I: 55 is E Ff (20 WA k Z7 I I: a2 #26 28 i Z6 4 22 2\ l ,4; $5 57 /23 25 f 45 P 5 37 D J 57 ace M 55 4 INVENTOR JKI/PJW/Yu A. [pom A4 7.

; I .40 BY I U? WMWW wmmam ATTORNEYS I Dec. 20, 1955 M. 1.. LOCKHART 2,727,514 ASPIRATING HYFODERMIC SYRINGE AND BLOOD SAMPLING DEVICES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 15, 1952 INVENTOR MFS/wzz [.1 awry/m2 WMMJ United States PatentOfi 2,727,514 Patented Dec. 20, 1955 ice ASPIRATING HYPODERMIC SYRINGE AND BLOGD SAMPLING DEVICES Application September 13, 1952, Serial No. 309,421 Claims. (Cl. 128218) The present invention relates to cannula-equipped hypodermic syringes for subcutaneous injection of barrel or ampule contents and similar devices for withdrawing blood samples. More particularly, it relates to means in such devices permitting ready use of a well-known type of hollow needle having a socketed hub and anchorage thereof to barrels or ampules of elastic material.

A general object of the present invention is to provide such aspirating devices and parts thereof which are of simple construction readily producible on an economical basis, and are easily assembled and efnciently employable; and which feature barrel, vial or ampule means having a movable or elastic portion, permitting ready aspiration by wall motion or distortion and release, equipped with simple means readily to receive and temporarily but securely to anchor thereto hub structure of a certain type of cannula or hollow needle.

A more Specific object of the present invention is to provide 11']. such aspirating devices barrel, ampule or sucmeans readily formed of tubular, preferably light-transmitting, elastic material so as to permit ready aspiration of blood by squeezing or pinching or otherwise distorting the side walls thereof and releasing, with one end of such tubular structure closed by head means having a connecting element adapted readily to be telescopically received in a needle hub socket and distortably to engage hub flange elements for secure temporary anchorage of the needle.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide uniquely simple structural embodiments of such elastic wall aspirating devices which are readily and which permit efiicient use, operation and functioning thereof with known, readily available types of hypodermic syringe needles having socketed hubs, as will be more fully apparent from the following descriptions of the embodiments illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of an embodiment of a loaded ampule for a hypodermic syringe device of the preferably provided for comand showing a protective cap to permit mounting thereto of a mercial distribution, thereof being removed needle unit;

Fig. 2 is an exploded view similar to Fig. 1 illustrating mount of needle and piston stem units to opposite ends of the ampule shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged end view of the needle unit and head end of the ampule of Fig. 2, with parts omitted, illustrating the first step of manipulation of the former to mount it to and anchor it upon the latter;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, with parts broken away and in section, illustrating the next manipulative step for temporary anchorage of the needle on the ampule head;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view, with parts broken away, of the structure shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged axial section of the ampule of Fig. 2; showing in elevation the piston stem mounted to one end thereof and the needle unit, with parts broken away and in section, mounted to the other ampule end; piston depression to expel ampule contents being illustrated;

Fig. 7 is an axial section similar to Fig. 6 of a modification of the ampule, and showing the piston stem in elevation mounted to one end thereof;

Fig. 8 is an exploded sectional view, with parts broken away section of Fig. 7, and illustrating opening of the discharge neck by severance of a closing p;

a blood sample;

Fig. 10 is an exploded perspective view similar to Fig. 2 of the structural embodiment proposed in Fig. 9, illustrating mounting of the needle unit to the head end of the vial;

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the assembly resulting from manipulative mounting together of the units draw a blood sample into the vial; and

Fig. 12 is an enlarged elevational view of the assembly shown in Fig. 11, with parts broken away and in section, illustrating the substantial blood sampling use thereof.

Referring to the drawings, like numerals therein identify similar parts throughout. It will be seen therefrom that embodiments of the present invention and parts thereof are adapted to hypodermic syringe devices of the types disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 257,838, filed November 23, 1951; and to modified forms of ampule structure shown in my copending application Serial No. 202,333, now Patent No. 2,625,157, filed December 22, 1950, for use in unique blood sampling devices of the present invention. Those various devices and the emmeans of the present invention, elements thereof which may or may not be elastic, for ready mounting and temporary anchorage of a well-known type of hypodermic needle unit.

Accordingly, an embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6 incl, may take the form of a flexible, elastic wall container 20, preferably formed of light-transmitting material to permit one readily to see into the chamber formed by the container walls including the head portion and a piston plug closure. For this puris made of an elastic plastic composition, such as a suitable light-transmitting or substantially transparent polyethylene composition, since, in accordance with the present invention, at least elements .ably carries on its engagement permits with the present invention,

of the head portion of the container must permit elastic deformation for needle hub anchorage thereto. Thus, the container structure including its head portion 21 preferably is molded from substantially transparent polyethylene.

The head portion 21 of the .elastic plastic, tubular ampule 20 is closed by a needle-pierceable diaphragm molded as an integral part of the container, edges of which after puncture are seen at 22 in Fig. 6. A hollow, coaxially-extending neck 23 forms an element of container head portion and preferably also is molded integral therewith. Hollow neck 23 has an axial socket, preferably in the form of a cylindrical bore 24, extending longitudinally thereof. Bore 24 is closed at its inner end or bottom by a pierceable diaphragm, edges thereof which circumscribe a puncture therein being indicated at 22 in Fig. 6. The back end 25 of the tubular arnpule 2 3 is closed by a piston plug 26 of any suitable construction.

Piston plug .26 preferably is a substantially cylindrical body of elastic material, such as rubber, and, if desired, may be provided with annular grooves to form circumferential ribs, as shown. The ampule 2% and its end closures comprising head 21 and piston plug 26 define therein a substantially cylindrical chamber 27' in which a body 28 of medicinal liquid or injective medicament intended for hypodermic administration is protectively housed or stored.

As is best seen from Figs. 2, 6 and 7, the piston plug 26 preferably is provided in the rear end thereof with an internally-threaded socket 29 adapted threadably to receive an externally-threaded stud 3% on one end of a piston stem 31 of any suitable construction, which preferother end a finger-engaging thrust plate 32. Thus, piston stem 31 may be temporarily conneeted to the piston plug 26 by threadably engaging the stud into the piston plug socket 29. That threaded ready disconnection of the piston stem from the piston plug so that, if desired, the stem may be used successively with a series of loaded ampules, each comprising a container 20 carrying its own piston plug.

Since piston plug 26 is to be pushed forward into the chamber 27 for expulsion of liquid contents, means are preferably provided to assure ready engagement of the container by the operators fingers to limits its forward motion while the piston means is being depressed or thrust forward. Such engaging means on the container 20 may be provided in the form of a pair of diametrically-opposed, laterally-extending wings 33, 33, preferably provided as integral parts of the molded container structure. The finger-engaging wings 33, 33 may thus be formed as protruding portions of a circumambient oblong rim 34 attached to the container proper by lateral webs 35, 35, as best seen in Fig. 7, and that Wing-forming structure preferably is generally diamond-shaped, as is best seen from Figs. 1 and 2, not only to provide the desired finger-engaging means, but also to enhance the appearance thereof. Even though the side walls of the container 20 may be sufficiently thin as to be quite flexible to permit ready elastic flexure, the shape of the wingforming structure, including the diamond-shaped rim 34, assures sufficient rigidity to the finger-engaging wings 33, 33 as to avoid any undue tendency for the rear end 21 of the container structure to collapse or unduly distort under leverage forces developed during forward expulsive thrust of the piston plug 26.

In order to assure sterile conditions of the ampule neck 23, it may be protectively covered by a removable cap 36' shown in Fig. 1. Since neck 23 preferably is formed of elastic material, cap 36 may be securely frictionally engaged thereon even if it is molded from similar elastic plastic material, such as polyethylene, or a more rigid plastic, such as polystyrene.

'.T he head means 21 of the container 20 is, in accordance provided with needle anchoring means preferably in the form of substantially axiallyextending, laterally-spaced, integral projections 37, 37 having opposed faces 38, 38 flanking the base of the neck 23. Being of elastic material, the faces 33, 38 of anchoring projections 37, 37 will permit projections or wings of harder material, such as metal, to dig therein for ternporary anchorage, as will bemore fully explained hereinafter.

In Figs 2 and 6 are illustrated a common type of hypodermic syringe needle structure 39 readily available on the market. As therein shown, such needle structure preferably comprises ahollow needle 40 having a sharp piercing end 41 for subcutaneous insertion and mounted upon a hub 42. As best seen in Fig. 6, hub 42 is provided with an axially-extending socket 43 adapted telescopically to receive neck 23 for communicating the needle bore with the ampule chamber 27 when diaphragm 22 is pierced. Adjacent the mouth of the socket 43, hub 42 is preferably provided with a circumarnbient flange 44 having arcs thereof omitted or removed substantially at quarter points, so that the base end of the hub is substantially rectangular in shape and to provide two pairs of diametricallyopposed engaging projections or wings 45-45.

As will be seen from Figs. 3 and 4, the hub 42 is of a certain transverse dimension X tip-to-tip of a pair of the opposed engaging projections 45, 45. The opposed faces 38, 38 of the anchoring projections 37, 37 are spaced laterally a certain distance Y. The base of the needle hub 42 is of a width Z between the engaging projections 45-45. The spacing Y of the anchoring projections 37, 37 is. intermediate the hub tip-to-tip dimension X and the hub width Z for a reason best understood by reference to Figs. 3, 4 and 5 in connection with the following explanation ofa typical operation:of the embodiment of the device illustratedin Figs. 1 to 6 incl. v

In operation of the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 6 incl., the operator will select a loaded ampule 20 containing in its chamber 27 a body 28 of medicinal liquid intended to be hypodermically administered as a single treatment. The operator slips oif the protective cap 36, as illustrated by the arrow 46 in Fig. 1. He then punctures the neck diaphragm to communicate the neck bore 24 with the chamber 27 in any suitable manner, as indicated at 22 in Fig. 6, such as by the piercing end 41 of needle assembly 39. Thereafter, the needle assembly 39 is mounted upon the loaded ampule 20 by telescoping the socketed hub 42 over the ampule neck 23, in the direction of arrow 47 shown in Fig. 2. During such telescopic mounting of the needle hub 42 on the neck 23, the operator orients the needle hub relative to the anchoring projections 37, 37 so as to assure that the rectangular-shaped hub base flange 44 will be readily received between the opposedprojection faces 38, 38, as illustrated in Fig. 3. The operator then rotates the hub 42 on the neck 23 approximately throughanangle of about 45 in either direction, as illustrated by the double-ended arrow 48 in Fig. 3, so as toturn a pair of opposed engaging projections 45, 45 substantially to the positions shown in Fig. 4. The elasticity of the anchoring projections 37 37 permits the engaging projections orhub wings or tips 45, 45 to dig, into theprojection faces 38, 38 and the material thereinto flow around the hub tips, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and '5, securely anchoring the needle hub 42 to the ampule 20.

Thus, when the needle hub 42 is telescoped with the ampule neck 23 as the hub is oriented in a first or initial angular position. relative to the laterally-spaced elastic anchoring projections 37, 37 on the ampule head means 21, a diametrically-opposed pair of the lateral engaging means or hub wings 45, 45 are received with the hub between those anchoring projections; so that when the .hub is manipulated relative to the ampule head means and its laterally-spacedianchoring projections or rotated partially on the. neckto a;second angular position of disposition of the lateralengagingmeans transversely across between the anchoring projections, the needle structure 39 istemporarily. helidronrthe ampule. head: means. The needle structure 39 and its hub 42 are thus demountable from the container structure by manipulation of the needle hub from the second to the first position of relative angular orientation to disengage the engaging means carried by the hub, i. e., the lateral hub wings 45, 45, from the laterally-spaced elastic anchoring projections 37, 37, and then by withdrawal of the hub from between the latter. Thereafter, the piston stud is threadably engaged into the threaded piston plug socket 29 in the direction of arrow 49 shown in Fig. 2, to complete the hypodermic syringe assembly, as best seen in Fig. 6. The resultant hypodermic syringe device is then ready for subcutaneous administration of the contents of ampule chamber 27.

After the operator has thrust the end 41 of the needle into a patients flesh with location of the needle relative to veins attained to his satisfaction, the ampule contion of the arrow in Fig. 6 on the finger-engaging plate the piston plug 26 forward in the chamber 27, as illustrated in Fig. 6. Such piston action, of course, expels the liquid 28 through the pierced diaphragm 22, neck bore 24 and the bore of the needle 40.

Although the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 6 incl. is primarily designed as a hypodermic syringe device, such a structure may be employed as a suction device for taking a blood sample. For that purpose, piston plug 26 will be located in the vicinity of the head means 21 and pull on the pistonstem 31 will withdraw the piston plug to create suction in the piston chamber 27 to collect in the latter a quantity of blood to be subjected to routine tests. A modification of the structure of the device, as illustrated in Figs. 9 to 12 incl., may be preferred for taking such blood samples.

As illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, closure of the neck bore 24 by means other than be employed, if desired.

the pierceable diaphragm 22 may Such closure means may be in the form of a solid neck tip 51 to be removed from the outer end of neck 123 by severance, as illustrated in Fig. 8, to permit thereafter the socketing of the neck within the hub socket of the needle assembly 39 in the manner previously described.

An embodiment of the present invention which may be preferred for taking blood samples is illustrated in Figs. 9 to 12 incl. As therein indicated, the container may be in the form of a tubular structure 120 molded from suitable elastic material, such as an elastic plastic, e. g., polyethylene. Container 120 may be provided with a cylindrical, flexible, elastic side wall 52 closed at one end by head means 21 similar to that illustrated in Figs. 1 to 8 incl., and at the other end 53 by pinching of and sealing the opposite sides together, to form a collapsible tube type of container structure. The neck bore 24 may be suitably closed and the neck 23 have its sterile conditions suitably protected by a cover cap 136 of any suitable design. The container 120 of Figs. 9 and 10 will, of course, be supplied with its chamber 27 filled only with sterile gaseous medium, such as air.

In order to employ the embodiment of Figs. 9 to 12 incl., for the purpose of taking a sample of blood, the operator will select an empty container 120, remove its protective cap 136, and mount the needle assembly 39 thereto in the manner described above. He will then expel a major quantity of the air from chamber 27 by pinching the side walls of the chamber together and then lapping the end 53 back upon the remaining portion of the collapsed container, as will best be understood from Fig. 11.

The needle tip 41 will be thrust into a patients flesh to communicate with a vein, illustrated at 54 in Fig. 11. The operator then releases the folded back end 53 and, due to the elasticity of the container side walls and their ability to return substantially to their original positions or recover, the collapsed container will automatically unfold in the direction of the arrow 55 shown in Fig. 11

substantially to the dotted line position shown at 56 there in, and the opposed portions of the side walls will spring out or expand away from each other in the direction of the arrows 57, 57 shown in Fig. 12. Such recovery of the tube creates suction in its chamber 27 and draws thereinto a quantity or body of blood 58 for test.

The body of blood 58 in the container 120 may be expelled therefrom for test by collapse of the container in a manner similar to the above-described manipulation to expel the air from the container of Fig. 9. Thereafter, the needle assembly 39 may be dismounted from the container to be sterilized for subsequent use with another like container, and the used container discarded.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above construction and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements or" the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In aspirating hypodermic syringes and blood sampling devices, and the like, the combination comprising, container structure having a chamber defined at one end by head means, a hollow needle having a hub and bore hollow neck means on said head means connected engaging and anchoring projections temporarily holding said hub on said head means after the former is manipulated relative to the latter to a second angular position, said needle being demountable from said container structure by manipulation of said hub from the second to laterally-spaced elastic anchoring projections and then Withdrawing said hub from between the latter.

2. The needle anchoring means and structure as defined in claim 1 characterized by said engaging means as being laterally-projecting, metallic, diametrically-opposed 4. The needle anchoring means and structure as defined in claim 3 characterized by said needle hub as having a laterally-extending flange, arcs of which are absent at four quarter points to provide two pairs of said diametrically-opposed wings with said flange being thus shaped substantially rectangular, said anchoring projections having opposed, substantially parallel faces spaced laterally a distance greater than the external dimension of said hub flange intermediate said wings but less than the tip-to-tip dimension across said Wings.

5. in aspirating hypodermic syringes and blood sampling devices, and the like; the combination with a hollow needle having an enlarged hub provided with an axiallyextending socketand having diametrically-opposed, laterally extending, engaging projections of certain dimension Xirorrrtip-to-top across said hub, the latter being of certainexternall width Z between saidprojections; of container head means on which saidhub is mounted, said head means being formed of elastic material and having a hollow neck socketed into said hubsocket, said head meansincluding an opposed pair of substantially axiallyprojecting, elastic, anchoring projections flanking opposite sides of the base of said neck and having opposed faces spaced laterally a distance Y intermediate said dimensions X and Z to receive said hub therebetween when said engaging projections are oriented in an initial position of reception between said anchoring projections, said engagingprojections digging into said opposed faces and holding said hub on said neck as a result of said hub being rotated from its initial position to a second position of dispositiontof said engaging projections transversely across between said anchoring projections with temporary anchorage of said hub to said head means and with said neck socketed in said hub socket.

6. The needle anchoring means and structure as defined in, claim 5 characterized by said opposed faces being disposed substantially parallel to each other with said hub being provided with four of said engaging projections disposed substantially 90" to each other to provide said hub with a substantially rectangular base receivable between said opposed faces, said engaging projections forming two pairs of wings with those of either pairtbeing adapted to dig into said opposed faces in said manner when said hub is then rotated about 45, one of said pair anchoring said hub to said anchoring projections.

7. In aspirating hypodermic syringes and blood sampling devices, and the like, the combination comprising; a tubular container structure closed ing head means at the other end to, define a chamber in said tubular structure, said chamber being provided with movable wall means to vary the internal capacity for expulsion of any contents and to create suction; a hollow needle having a hub provided with an axially-extending socket and a bore communicating with the latter; an aX- ially-extending hollow neck projecting from said head means received into said hub socket and communicating the chamber with the bore; laterally-spaced anchoring projections on the outer end of said head means flanking the base of said neck and to receive therebetween said hub when in an initialposition of relative orientation; at least a part of said container structure, hollow neck and anchoring projections being molded as a unit from elastic at one end and hav- 7 tube of elastic material material; and laterally-extending projections on'opposite sides of said hub to be received between said anchoring projections in the mentioned initial receptive position of relative orientation and digging into said elastic projections and holding said hub onsaid neck as a result ofsaid hub being partially rotated on said neck from its initial position to a second position of disposition ofsaid laterallyextending projections transversely across between said anchoring projections and temporarily anchoring said hub on said neck.

8. The structure as defined in claim 7 characterized by closure of the end of said tubular container structure opposite the head means end by a slidable piston plug which may be slid forward toexpel any fluid contents and slid backward to create suction.

9. The structure as defined in claim 7 characterized by said tubular containerbeing in the form of a collapsible permanently closed at the end opposite the head means and with the side walls thereof being adapted to be flexed and folded to reducethe capacity of the chamber-tea minimum and which, when released, will tend to spring out to their initial positions to increase the capacity of the chamber to create suction.

10. In aspirating hypodermic syringes and blood sam pling devices, and the like; the'combination with a hollow needle having a bore and a socketed hub structure having a passage in communication with said bore; of container head structure on which said hub structure is mounted, said head structure'having a hollow neck extending therefrom and telescoped into said socketed hub structure with the interior of said neck communicating with said hub passage; said head structure beingprovided with fixed, forwardly-projecting anchoring elastic material means spaced laterally-outward of said hollow neck; said hub structure being provided exteriorly with laterallyprojecting engaging means of more rigid material inserted between said neck and'fixed anchoring means and rotated with said hub structure about said neck until saidengaging means digs into the elastic material anchoring means thereby securely anchoring said structures together temporarily while permitting rotary disengagement for allowing withdrawal of said neck from said hub structure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED .STATES PATENTS 1,222,814 Storz Apr. 17, 1917 2,158,593 Scrimgeour May 16,1939 2,423,762 Everett July 8, 1947 2,615,446 Lingenfelter 'Oct.28, 1952 

